Refrigerator ice tray



March 1, 1955 Filed Oct. 10, 1951 I M. H. FOSTER 2,702,991

REFRIGERATOR ICE TRAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR MORRIS H. FOSTER ATTORNEY March 1955 M. H. FOSTER REFRIGERATOR ICE TRAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 10, 1951 INVENTOR Momus H. FOSTER ATTORNEY United States Patent REFRIGERATOR ICE TRAY Morris H. Foster, South Charleston, W. Va.

Application October 10, 1951, Serial No. 250,681

1 Claim. (Cl. 62-1085) This invention relates to the improvement of an ice tray grid developed for the purpose of crushing ice contained within individual compartments as the ice is removed from the ice tray proper. I have found that by spacing flexible transverse plates relatively close together and pivoting them from a spacer strip located at the bottom of the ice tray, the ice in front of each transverse plate will crush as the plate is pivoted forward. Further, if the transverse plates are extended sufficiently above the upper edges of the ice tray proper, the plates can be pivoted and consequently the ice crushed by applying thumb pressure at one of the top corners of the transverse plate. Still further, the bottom edge of each transverse plate may be bent forward to form a lip to lay approximately parallel to the bottom of the ice tray while the plate is in the freezing position. Subsequent pivoting of each plate from the very bottom edge will cause the lip to raise in an are from the pivoting position and free ice at the bottom of the tray between the transverse plates. A further object of the invention was to provide an individual and independent transverse plate with a handle attached so that a prism of ice at one end of the ice tray could be removed to make room for pivoting the re maining plates. In addition, the independent plate was equipped with a divider so that the initial prism of ice would break into more than one piece upon removal.

Figure I is an end view of the ice tray with the grid in assembled position for freezing ice but with the independent plate slightly raised for a better prospective.

Figure II is a vertical section of the grid and independent plate as they would appear in freezing position.

Figure III is a front elevation view of one of the transverse partition plates.

Figure IV is an end view of the spacer strip upon which the transverse plates are mounted.

Figure V is a front elevation view of the individual indielpgndent transverse plate with handle and divider attac e The ice tray is provided with ends and 12. Extending longitudinally of the tray and substantially centrally thereof is a rectangular-shaped metal spacer strip 14. This strip is provided with a series of transversely extending notches 16. Extending longitudinally of the tray and directly under said spacer strip 14 is a metal strip 18 which is firmly attached to the bottom of strip 14 by welding or riveting.

A plurality of flexible transverse partition plates 20 are provided. Each of these partition plates has a lower,

2,702,991 Patented Mar. 1, 1955 centered, rectangular hole 22 of such size that the spacer strip may completely fill the hole when the plates are in freezing position, Figure II. The bottom edge of each partition plate is reinforced directly under the hole, 22, by rolled metal, 24, made by cutting the hole, 22, on three sides and rolling the metal downward. The rolled metal, 24, is used as a pivoting pin which fits into notches, 16, of spacer strip, 14. The bottom edge of each partition plate, 20, is bent forward to form a lip 26 which lays approximately parallel to the bottom of the ice tray when the partition plates are in the freezing position shown in Figure I. When the transverse partition plates are in the freezing position, Figure I, they extend above the top edges of the ice tray proper to provide a space behind the top of each plate, void of ice, for thumb pressure to be applied.

An individual transverse plate, 28, with attached handle, 30, and divider, 32, is independent of plate and spacer strip assembly. Transverse plate 28 is flexible and similar to plate 20, but does not contain the hole 22 or lip 26. Handle 30, which is an integral part of plate 28, extends back over the top edges of plates, 20. Divider member, 32, which is also an integral part of plate 28 is a triangular member perpendicular to plate 28 but slight- 1y smaller than the triangle made by plate 28, while in the freezing position, Figure II, and the end, 12, of the ice tray proper.

When plate 28 is in its freezing position, the bottom edge of this plate rests upon the end of spacer strip, 14, and the handle, 30, of plate 28 rests upon the top edges of plates 20.

I claim:

An ice tray including a tray proper and grid assembly comprising a plurality of flexible partition plates and a spacer strip extending longitudinally and adjacent to the bottom of said tray with a plurality of transversely extending spaces on the bottom of said strip and a thin covering strip extending longitudinally of said tray and adjacent to the bottom of and being an integral part of said spacer strip and said spacer strip being wide enough to prevent rotation of said flexible plates in a horizontal plane, a lever and plate assembly independent from said grid assembly comprising a handle adapted to extend over and rest upon a plurality of said plates and an angle plate forming part of said lever and plate assembly positioned substantially parallel to said plates first named with the bottom edge of said angle plate resting upon the end of grid assembly spacer strip, said angle plate having a triangularly shaped divider plate mounted perpendicular to and on the plain surface of said angle plate whereby pivotal action of said angle plate will break the prism of ice between the end of the ice tray proper and said angle plate into more than one piece.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,226,184 Storer Dec. 29, 1940 2,286,693 Steenstrup June 16, 1942 2,351,303 Storer June 13, 1944 2,551,411 Bauer May 1, 1951 2,558,802 White July 3, 1951 

